THE PHANTOM OF SOHO (1964)
aka Das Phantom von Soho
Article 2748 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 11-14-2008
Posting Date: 2-20-2009
Directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb
Featuring Dieter Borsche, Barbara Rutting, Hans Sohnker
Country: West Germany

A knife-wielding maniac is killing patrons of a sleazy nightclub. However, the victims have more in common than just they’re having frequented the place…

Though my print isn’t in the best of quality, it’s properly letterboxed, surprisingly well-dubbed, and quite coherent. Considering this is one of the Edgar Wallace krimis West Germany was churning out in the early sixties, this is all quite surprising. It even has a plus in that the comic relief character is actually quite amusing and managed to get a few laughs out of me, also rare for the form. As a mystery, it’s not particularly challenging; you’ll quickly figure out the red herring and notice the character whose sole purpose in the story is to be unmasked at the end; I certainly wasn’t surprised. Nevertheless, this is one of the more entertaining and enjoyable krimis out there, and it even has a few effective stylistic touches to add to the mix. This is another good place to start for those who want to try out the form.